When
I first began working as a Youth First Social Worker at an elementary school in
2017, I noticed the children enjoyed being welcomed by a stuffed animal cat in
the mornings to promote a great start to their day. I have always kept various
stuffed animals in my office to encourage kids and families to feel more
comfortable talking to me.

Over
the years, I have purchased stuffed animals that resemble wild and domestic
cats. However, the favorite cat of the majority of the children and adults at school
is a big stuffed tiger.

At times I have even been asked by students if I would allow the
stuffed animal tiger to visit their classroom for the entire day. As a result, I am not surprised by the
following statement from Rose M. Barlow of the Department of Psychology at
Boise State University in Idaho:
“Animals, (real or toys) can help children and adults to experience and
express emotions, a feeling of unconditional support, and grounding.”

My real pet cat Jazzy and I became registered as an animal-assisted
therapy team through Pet Partners in 2018. According to Pet Partners, there are only 180
registered cat-assisted therapy teams in the US.

My thoughts were that Jazzy could possibly reduce anxiety and
anger issues that some of the students were experiencing at the time. First, I contacted the parents of the
children that I felt would benefit from this form of intervention and gained
their approval to use this technique.

I was able to bring Jazzy to school on two occasions. The
students whose parents approved the animal-assisted therapy were really excited
about visiting with Jazzy and were able to discuss some difficult experiences
that they had incurred throughout their lives.

One of the rules of being a registered assisted therapy team
through Pet Partners is that the animal has to be bathed prior to each visit. By
making sure that the animal has been cleaned, the allergens could be reduced
and not cause severe allergic reactions to the animal’s presence.
Unfortunately, however, the decision was made to no longer allow Jazzy in the
school setting due to individual allergy issues.

Currently, Jazzy and I attend the Paws and Tales program at Red Bank
Library in Evansville every other Thursday from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm. This program
allows children to read books to Jazzy.

The families and the staff at Red Bank Library enjoy visiting
with Jazzy. The children who attend the program are motivated to read a book
as a way to spend time with Jazzy, who also enjoys being brushed, petted, and given
treats.

Even though there are many different people who visit with Jazzy
on a regular basis, she has been able to completely bond with three individuals
since the Paws and Tales program was started. Jazzy shows this high comfort
level by purring very loudly for these individuals.

Jazzy loves to listen to children and adults read to her during
the Paws and Tales Program. She is always willing to listen regardless of the
individual’s reading ability!